Advances in technology, in particular in the entertainment field, have increased the number of electronic devices within a typical household. For example, an increasing number of households have sophisticated entertainment systems that may include various electronic devices such as a television, a cable set-top box, a VCR, a DVD player, home theatre audio devices, and so forth. Commonly, a separate and distinct remote control is provided for controlling each of these electronic devices, resulting in a user having to juggle several remote controls.
In order to alleviate the problem of having to deal with multiple remote controls, a universal remote control (universal remote) is often used. A universal remote is a remote control device equipped with the control codes of multiple electronic devices known at the time of design and manufacturing of the universal remote.
However, universal remote controls suffer from a number of disadvantages. First of all, because the plethora of electronic devices available to an average consumer are made by many different manufacturers, and most manufacturers employ proprietary control commands to control their electronic devices, as result, universal remotes are typically equipped to handle a large set of control codes. Accordingly, a user typically has to program into the universal remote a particular device code for each electronic device to be controlled, to identify the manufacturer of the electronic device, and therefore the control codes to be used to control the electronic device, before the universe remote can be used. Thus, many users find universal remote controls less than desirable.
Further, the number of electronic devices supported by a universal remote is limited to the electronic devices known to the manufacturer of the universal remote (or elected to support by the manufacturer) at the time the universal remote is made. New models of devices or new devices employing new control commands not known or programmed into the universal remote at the time the universal remote is manufactured are not supported by the universal remote. This shortcoming adds to the less than desirable user experience of universe remotes, especially for the leading edge consumers who readily adopt new models of electronic devices or new electronic devices.
Thus, an improved method for controlling electronic devices is desired.